JP7336728B2 - Manufacturing method of glass panel unit - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass panel unit, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a glass panel unit including a first panel, a second panel, and a thermal adhesive, and sealing an internal space by reducing pressure.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for manufacturing double glazing. In the method for manufacturing double glazing disclosed in Patent Document 1, first, the peripheral portion of a pair of plate glasses opposed to each other with a predetermined interval is sealed with a sealing material so that the space between the pair of plate glasses can be sealed. form a space. Next, after the inside of the space is decompressed by exhausting air through the exhaust port, the space is divided by the region forming material arranged in the space to form partial regions that do not include the exhaust port. After that, the pair of plate glass is cut to cut out a partial region.

In the method for manufacturing double glazing disclosed in Patent Document 1, since a pair of sheet glasses are cut, if the pair of sheet glasses such as tempered glass is made of glass that is not easy to cut, it is difficult to manufacture. It was difficult.

WO2013/172034

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a glass panel unit that can obtain a glass panel unit without an exhaust port without cutting a glass plate.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes an adhesive placement step, an assembly forming step, a bonding step, a pressure reduction step, and a sealing step. The adhesive disposing step is a step of disposing a thermal adhesive in a frame shape on the periphery of the first panel including the first glass plate or the second panel including the second glass plate. The assembly forming step includes disposing the second panel to face the first panel, including the first panel, the second panel, and the thermal adhesive, the first panel and the second panel. and the thermal adhesive, and an air passage formed in the thermal adhesive to communicate the internal space and the external space. The joining step is a step of heating the assembly to melt the thermal adhesive so as not to block the air passage, and joining the first panel and the second panel with the thermal adhesive. be. The decompression step is a step of depressurizing the internal space by discharging the gas in the internal space through the ventilation path. The sealing step is a step of closing the air passage to seal the internal space while maintaining the pressure-reduced state, thereby forming a closed pressure-reduced space. In the assembly, the end surface of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage on the side of the external space is located on the same plane as the end surfaces of the first panel and the second panel.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the glass panel unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partially broken schematic plan view of the same glass panel unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an assembly of the same glass panel unit. FIG. 4 is a partially broken schematic plan view of the same assembly. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing method of the same glass panel unit. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing method of the same glass panel unit. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a method for manufacturing the same glass panel unit. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a method for manufacturing the same glass panel unit. FIG. 10 is a schematic partially enlarged plan view of the assembly of the glass panel unit according to the second embodiment, partly cut away. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the glass panel unit in the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit of the same.

The following first to third embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a glass panel unit. A method for manufacturing the glass panel unit of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. The embodiments of the method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to the present disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure.

1 and 2 show a glass panel unit (completed glass panel unit) 10 of the first embodiment. The glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment is a heat insulating glass unit. An insulating glass unit is a type of double glazing panel that includes at least a pair of glass panels, and has a reduced pressure space (or a vacuum space) between the pair of glass panels.

The glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment includes a first panel 20, a second panel 30, a seal 40, a reduced pressure space 50, a gas adsorbent 60, and a plurality of pillars 70.

The glass panel unit 10 is obtained by going through an intermediate product assembly 100 shown in FIGS.

The assembly 100 includes at least a first panel 20 , a second panel 30 , a thermal adhesive (a frame 410 to be described later), a gas adsorbent 60 and pillars 70 . Specifically, in the first embodiment, the assembly 100 includes the first panel 20, the second panel 30, the frame body 410 as a thermal adhesive, the internal space 500, the ventilation path 600, and the gas adsorption It comprises a body 60 and a plurality of pillars 70 .

The first panel 20 includes a first glass plate 21 that defines the planar shape of the first panel 20 and a coating 22 .

The first glass plate 21 is a rectangular flat plate, and has a first surface (lower surface in FIG. 3) and a second surface (upper surface in FIG. 3) parallel to each other on both sides in the thickness direction. The size of the rectangular first glass plate 21 is, for example, about 1360 mm to 2350 mm on one side and about 1 mm to 20 mm in thickness, but the numerical values are not limited. The material of the first glass plate 21 is, for example, soda lime glass, high strain point glass, chemically strengthened glass, alkali-free glass, quartz glass, neoceram, and physically strengthened glass.

A coating 22 is formed on the first surface of the first glass plate 21 . In the first embodiment, a so-called Low-E (Low-emissivity) film is formed as the coating 22 on the first surface of the first glass plate 21 . Note that the coating 22 is not limited to a Low-E film, and may be a film having desired physical properties. Note that the first panel 20 may be composed of only the first glass plate 21 . In short, the first panel 20 includes at least the first glass plate 21 .

In the first embodiment, a Low-E film is formed as the coating 22 on the first surface of the first glass plate 21 by sputtering. In forming the Low-E film by sputtering, the first glass plate 21 is heated to a high temperature (for example, 250° C.) in order to improve the adhesion of the Low-E film to the first glass plate 21 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second panel 30 includes a second glass plate 31 that defines the planar shape of the second panel 30 . The second glass plate 31 is a rectangular flat plate and has a first surface (upper surface in FIG. 3) and a second surface (lower surface in FIG. 3) parallel to each other on both sides in the thickness direction. Both the first surface and the second surface of the second glass plate 31 are flat surfaces.

The planar shape and planar size of the second glass plate 31 are the same as those of the first glass plate 21 (that is, the planar shape of the second panel 30 is the same as that of the first panel 20). Moreover, the thickness of the second glass plate 31 is, for example, the same as that of the first glass plate 21 . The material of the second glass plate 31 is, for example, soda lime glass, high strain point glass, chemically strengthened glass, alkali-free glass, quartz glass, neoceram, and physically strengthened glass.

The second panel 30 is composed only of the second glass plate 31 . That is, the second glass plate 31 is the second panel 30 itself. It should be noted that the second panel 30 may have a coating on either surface. A coating is a film that has desired physical properties, such as an infrared reflective film. In this case, the second panel 30 is composed of the second glass plate 31 and the coating. In short, the second panel 30 includes at least the second glass plate 31 .

In the first embodiment, the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 are made of tempered glass (physically strengthened glass or chemically strengthened glass) that is difficult to cut. The first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 made of tempered glass are more difficult to cut linearly with, for example, a rotary blade than when made of non-tempered glass. In addition, the strength of the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 made of tempered glass tends to decrease when the temperature rises to over 300°C. Therefore, the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 formed of tempered glass are treated so as not to exceed 300° C. in each step of the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit 10 according to the present disclosure.

The second panel 30 is arranged to face the first panel 20 . Specifically, the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are arranged such that the first surface of the first glass plate 21 and the first surface of the second glass plate 31 are parallel and face each other.

The frame body 410 is arranged between the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 and joins the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 airtightly. Thereby, an internal space 500 surrounded by the frame 410, the first panel 20, and the second panel 30 is formed.

The frame 410 is made of thermal adhesive (thermal adhesive having a predetermined softening point). A thermal adhesive is, for example, a glass frit. The glass frit is, for example, a low-melting-point glass frit. The low-melting-point glass frit is, for example, bismuth-based glass frit, lead-based glass frit, or vanadium-based glass frit.

The frame 410 has a rectangular frame shape. The planar shape of the frame 410 is substantially the same as the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 , but the planar size of the frame 410 is smaller than the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 . The frame 410 is formed along the outer circumference of the upper surface of the second panel 30 (the first surface of the second glass plate 31). That is, the frame 410 is formed so as to surround almost the entire area on the second panel 30 (the first surface of the second glass plate 31).

The first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are hermetically sealed by the frame 410 by once melting the thermal adhesive of the frame 410 at a predetermined temperature (melting temperature) Tm1 (see FIG. 8) equal to or higher than the first softening point. is spliced to

A gas adsorbent 60 is disposed within the interior space 500 . Specifically, the gas adsorbent 60 is elongated and formed along the width direction of the second panel 30 at the end in the length direction of the second panel 30 (the left end in FIG. 4). there is That is, the gas adsorbent 60 is arranged at the end of the internal space 500 (the reduced pressure space 50). By doing so, the gas adsorbent 60 can be made inconspicuous. Also, the gas adsorbent 60 is located away from the ventilation path 600 . Therefore, when the internal space 500 is evacuated, the possibility of the gas adsorbent 60 interfering with the evacuation can be reduced.

The gas adsorbent 60 is used to adsorb unnecessary gas (residual gas, etc.). The unnecessary gas is, for example, gas emitted from frame 410 when frame 410 is heated.

Gas adsorbent 60 has a getter. A getter is a material that has the property of adsorbing molecules smaller than a predetermined size. The getter is, for example, an evaporative getter. Evaporative getters have the property of releasing adsorbed molecules when the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (activation temperature) or higher. Therefore, even if the adsorption capability of the evaporative getter is lowered, the adsorption capability of the evaporative getter can be recovered by heating the evaporative getter to the activation temperature or higher. Evaporative getters are, for example, zeolites or ion-exchanged zeolites (eg copper ion-exchanged zeolites).

The gas adsorbent 60 is provided with this getter powder. Specifically, the gas adsorbent 60 is formed by applying a solution in which getter powder is dispersed. In this case, the gas adsorbent 60 can be made smaller. Therefore, even if the reduced-pressure space 50 is narrow, the gas adsorbent 60 can be arranged.

A plurality of pillars 70 are used to maintain a predetermined gap between the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 . In other words, the plurality of pillars 70 function as spacers for maintaining the distance between the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 at a desired value.

A plurality of pillars 70 are arranged within the interior space 500 . Specifically, the plurality of pillars 70 are arranged at intersections of a rectangular (square or rectangular) lattice. For example, the shortest distance between the pillars 70 is 2 cm. However, the size of the pillars 70, the number of the pillars 70, the spacing between the pillars 70, and the arrangement pattern of the pillars 70 can be selected as appropriate.

Pillar 70 is formed using a transparent material. However, each pillar 70 may be formed using an opaque material if it is sufficiently small. The material of the pillars 70 is selected so that the pillars 70 are not deformed in the bonding process, decompression process, and sealing process, which will be described later. For example, the pillar 70 material is selected to have a higher softening point (softening temperature) than the thermal adhesive.

Next, a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. FIG. The manufacturing method of the glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment includes at least an adhesive placement process, an assembly forming process, a bonding process, a decompression process, and a sealing process. It should be noted that other steps may be provided, but they are optional. They will be explained in order below.

In the first embodiment, first, although not shown, a substrate forming step is performed. The substrate forming process is a process of forming the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 . Specifically, in the substrate forming step, for example, the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are produced. Moreover, in the substrate forming process, the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are washed as necessary.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, an adhesive placement step is performed. The adhesive disposing step is a step of disposing a thermal adhesive in a frame shape on the periphery of the first panel 20 or the second panel 30 . Specifically, in the adhesive placement step, the frame 410 is formed on the second panel 30 . In the adhesive placement step, the material (thermal adhesive) of the frame 410 is applied onto the second panel 30 (first surface of the second glass plate 31) using a dispenser or the like. As shown in FIG. 5, the thermal adhesive is placed along the edge of the second panel 30 at a position slightly inside (for example, 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less) from the edge of the second panel 30 in plan view. be done. A gap is formed in a part of the thermal adhesive in the circumferential direction. This gap serves as a ventilation path 600 that communicates an internal space 500 formed by an assembly forming process, which will be described later, and an external space, which is a space in which the atmosphere exists.

An end surface 412 of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 on the side of the external space is located on the same plane as the end surface 201 of the first panel 20 and the end surface 301 of the second panel 30 . In the first embodiment, the thermal adhesive that forms the frame 410 is positioned slightly inside the edge of the second panel 30 by a distance. Therefore, the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 is formed by the extending portion 411 extending from the main body of the frame 410 to the edge of the second panel 30 . An end surface 412 of the extending portion 411 on the outer space side is located on the same plane (virtual plane) as the end surfaces 201 and 301 .

In addition, in the adhesive placement step, the material of the frame body 410 may be dried and calcined. For example, the second panel 30 coated with the material of the frame 410 is heated. Also, the first panel 20 may be heated together with the second panel 30 . That is, the first panel 20 may be heated under the same conditions as the second panel 30 . Such calcination may not be performed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, a pillar formation process is performed. The pillar forming step is a step of arranging the pillars 70 on the first panel 20 or the second panel 30 . Specifically, in the pillar forming step, a plurality of pillars 70 are formed in advance, and the plurality of pillars 70 are arranged at predetermined positions on the second panel 30 using a chip mounter or the like. Note that the plurality of pillars 70 may be formed using photolithography technology and etching technology. In this case, the plurality of pillars 70 are formed using a photocurable material or the like. Alternatively, the plurality of pillars 70 may be formed using well-known thin film forming techniques. The height of the pillar 70 placed on the second panel 30 from the top surface of the second panel 30 is equal to the height of the thermal adhesive placed on the second panel 30 from the top surface of the second panel 30 . is equal to

Next, a gas adsorbent forming step is performed. Specifically, in the gas adsorbent forming step, the gas adsorbent 60 is formed by applying a solution in which the getter powder is dispersed on a predetermined position of the second panel 30 and drying it. The order of the adhesive disposing step, the pillar forming step and the gas adsorbent forming step is arbitrary.

Next, an assembly forming process is performed. As shown in FIG. 7, the assembly forming step is a step of arranging the second panel 30 so as to face the first panel 20 to form the assembly 100 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Assembly 100 includes first panel 20, second panel 30, and thermal adhesive. The assembly 100 has an interior space 500 surrounded by the first panel 20, the second panel 30 and the thermal adhesive, and an air passage 600 formed in the thermal adhesive.

The first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are arranged so that the first surface of the first glass plate 21 and the first surface of the second glass plate 31 are parallel to each other and face each other, and are overlapped. As shown in FIG. 5 , the outer space side end face 412 of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 is positioned on the same plane as the end face 201 of the first panel 20 and the end face 301 of the second panel 30 . The assembly forming process brings the thermal adhesive into contact with the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 to form the assembly 100 shown in FIGS.

Next, an exhaust pump connection step is performed. The exhaust pump connection step is performed at least before the pressure reduction step. In a first embodiment, the exhaust pump connection step is performed after the assembly forming step and before the bonding step.

As shown in FIG. 9 , in the exhaust pump connecting step, an exhaust pump (not shown) evacuates the internal space 500 through the air passage 600 , so the suction port 810 communicating with the exhaust pump is connected to the assembly 100 . The exhaust pump is a so-called vacuum pump, and can evacuate the internal space 500 to a degree of vacuum of 0.1 Pa or less. Note that the exhaust pump is not limited to a vacuum pump. An exhaust pump is connected to the seal head 800 via an exhaust tube 820 . The seal head 800 has an interior space and has a suction port 810 communicating with the interior space. The seal head 800 also has an opening 801 communicating with the internal space, and an exhaust pipe 820 is connected to this opening 801 . Via the internal space of the seal head 800, the opening 801 and the exhaust pipe 820, the gas sucked from the suction port 810 is conveyed to the exhaust pump. Seal head 800 is attached to assembly 100 by clip 900 . The seal head 800 is formed such that the surface having the suction port 810 is flat.

The end face 412 of the side wall of the air passage 600, the end face 201 of the first panel 20 and the end face 301 of the second panel 30 are located on the same plane (flat plane in the first embodiment) (see FIG. 5). The surface of the seal head 800 having the suction port 810 is in contact with the end surface 412, the end surface 201 and the end surface 301 without gaps due to surface contact. In the first embodiment, the surface having the suction port 810 of the seal head 800 and the end surface 412 , the end surface 201 and the end surface 301 are bonded with an adhesive 802 . As the adhesive 802, a so-called silicon-based adhesive is suitably used, but it is not particularly limited.

The surface of the seal head 800 having the suction port 810 and the end surface 412 , the end surface 201 and the end surface 301 do not have to be bonded with the adhesive 802 . Also, instead of the adhesive 802, a seal member (not shown) may be interposed between the surface having the suction port 810 of the seal head 800 and the end surface 412, the end surface 201, and the end surface 301. FIG.

The suction port 810 of the seal head 800 attached to the assembly 100 communicates with the air passage 600 and does not communicate with the external space. As described above, since the end surface 412 of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 is positioned on the same plane as the end surface 201 of the first panel 20 and the end surface 301 of the second panel 30, the suction port of the seal head 800 is The surface having 810 contacts the end surface 412, the end surface 201, and the end surface 301 without gaps by surface contact. As a result, the suction port 810 of the seal head 800 and the ventilation path 600 can be communicated without a gap (that is, without communicating with the external space), and exhaust can be efficiently performed.

Next, a bonding step (first melting step) is performed. The joining step is a step of heating the assembly 100 to melt the thermal adhesive so that the ventilation path 600 is not blocked, and joining the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 with the thermal adhesive. In the joining process, the assembly 100 is heated to melt the thermal adhesive, and the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are joined by the thermal adhesive to form a closed internal space 500 except for the air passage 600. do.

The bonding process, followed by the decompression and sealing processes, are performed while the assembly 100 is in the melting furnace.

In the bonding step, the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are airtightly bonded by once melting the thermal adhesive at a predetermined temperature (melting temperature) Tm1 equal to or higher than the softening point. The bonding process is divided into a first temperature increasing process, a first heat retaining process, and a first temperature decreasing process based on temperature changes.

The first temperature raising step is a step performed at a time indicated by t1 in FIG. 8, and is a step of raising the temperature in the melting furnace from room temperature to the melting temperature Tm1.

The first heat retaining step is a step performed at a time indicated by t2 in FIG. 8, and is a step of maintaining the temperature inside the melting furnace at the melting temperature Tm1.

The first temperature lowering step is a step performed at a time indicated by t3 in FIG. 8, and is a step of lowering the temperature in the melting furnace from the melting temperature Tm1 to a predetermined temperature (exhaust temperature) Te described later.

The first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are placed in a melting furnace and heated at a melting temperature Tm1 for a predetermined time (first melting time) t2 in a first heat retaining step, as shown in FIG.

The melting temperature Tm1 and the first melting time t2 are the temperature and time at which the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are airtightly joined by the thermal adhesive of the frame 410, but the air passage 600 is blocked. is set so that there is no In other words, the lower limit of the melting temperature Tm1 is the softening point of the thermal adhesive, but the upper limit of the melting temperature Tm1 is set so that the air passage 600 is not blocked. For example, if the softening point of the thermal adhesive is 300°C, the melting temperature Tm1 is set to 280°C. Also, the first melting time t2 is, for example, 10 minutes. Note that gas is emitted from the frame 410 in the bonding step, and this gas is adsorbed by the gas adsorbent 60 .

Next, a decompression step is performed. The depressurizing step is a step of depressurizing the internal space 500 by discharging the gas in the internal space 500 through the ventilation path 600 .

Exhaust is performed by an exhaust pump. The exhaust pump exhausts gas in the internal space 500 via the suction port 810 , the internal space and opening 801 of the seal head 800 , and the exhaust pipe 820 .

The depressurizing process is further divided into a first temperature lowering process, a second heat retaining process, a second temperature increasing process, a third heat retaining process, and a second temperature decreasing process based on temperature changes.

The first temperature lowering step in which the decompression step is performed is common to part of the first temperature lowering step in the immediately preceding bonding step. That is, the decompression process starts in the middle of the first temperature-lowering process in which the bonding process is being performed. In particular, the depressurization process is preferably initiated when the assembly 100 is at a temperature above the softening point of the thermal adhesive. The depressurization step may be started in the next second temperature keeping step without being performed in the first temperature lowering step.

The second heat-retaining step is a step performed at a time indicated by t4 in FIG. 8, and is a step of maintaining the temperature inside the melting furnace at the exhaust temperature Te. In the second heat retention step, the gas inside the internal space 500 is exhausted via the suction port 810 , the internal space and opening 801 , and the exhaust pipe 820 .

The evacuation time t4 is set so as to obtain the decompressed space 50 with a desired degree of vacuum (for example, degree of vacuum of 0.1 Pa or less). For example, the exhaust time t4 is set to 120 minutes. Incidentally, the degree of vacuum of the decompression space 50 is not particularly limited.

The second temperature increasing step, the third temperature retaining step and the second temperature decreasing step after the second heat retaining step are common to the following sealing step. That is, in the second temperature raising step, the third heat retaining step and the second temperature lowering step, the decompression step and the sealing step are performed in parallel.

Next, a sealing step (second melting step) is performed. The sealing step is a step of closing the air passage 600 to seal the internal space 500 while maintaining the reduced pressure, thereby forming the sealed reduced pressure space 50 .

The second temperature raising step is a step performed at a time indicated by t5 in FIG. 8, and is a step of raising the temperature inside the melting furnace from the exhaust temperature Te to a predetermined temperature Tm2.

The third heat retaining step is a step performed at a time indicated by t6 in FIG. 8, and is a step of maintaining the temperature inside the melting furnace at a predetermined temperature Tm2.

In the third heat retaining step, the thermal adhesive is temporarily melted at a predetermined temperature Tm2 equal to or higher than the second softening point, thereby deforming the frame 410 and blocking the ventilation path 600 . Specifically, the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 are heated in a melting furnace at a predetermined temperature Tm2 for a predetermined time (second melting time) t6.

Note that the predetermined temperature Tm2 is higher than the melting temperature Tm1. Since the melting temperature Tm1 is lower than the predetermined temperature Tm2, it is easy to join the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 with the thermal adhesive in the joining process so that the ventilation path 600 is not blocked. Further, since the predetermined temperature Tm2 is higher than the melting temperature Tm1, it is easy to close the air passage 600 and seal the internal space 500 in the sealing step.

Predetermined temperature Tm2 and second melting time t6 are set so that the thermal adhesive softens and closes air passage 600 . The second melting time t6 is, for example, 30 minutes.

The second temperature lowering step is a step performed at a time indicated by t7 in FIG. 8, and is a step of lowering the temperature inside the melting furnace from a predetermined temperature Tm2 to normal temperature.

After the second temperature lowering step, the glass panel unit 10 and the seal head 800 are taken out from the melting furnace, and the seal head 800 is removed from the glass panel unit 10 . Thereby, the glass panel unit 10 as a finished product as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is obtained.

As described above, in the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit 10 according to the first embodiment, the end surface 412 of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 is the end surface 201 of the first panel 20 and the second panel. It is located on the same plane as the end face 301 of 30 . As a result, the surface of the seal head 800 having the suction port 810 is in contact with the end surface 412, the end surface 201, and the end surface 301 without gaps, so that exhaust can be efficiently performed.

Also, in the first embodiment, a seal head 800 having a suction port 810 in communication with an exhaust pump can be directly connected to the assembly 100 . Moreover, the glass panel unit 10 as a finished product can be obtained only by removing the seal head 800 after the sealing process. As a result, the exhaust port does not remain in the glass panel unit 10 as a finished product.

Next, a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit 10 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . The manufacturing method of the glass panel unit 10 of the second embodiment is mostly the same as the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment. For this reason, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, in the adhesive placement step, the arrangement shape of the thermal adhesive arranged in a frame shape on the peripheral edge of the first panel 20 or the second panel 30 is different from that of the first embodiment. are the same as in the first embodiment.

The thermal adhesive is arranged along the edge of the second panel 30 so as not to protrude from the edge and not to be recessed inside the edge in plan view. As a result, the end surface 412 of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the ventilation path 600 on the side of the external space is located on the same plane as the end surface 201 of the first panel 20 and the end surface 301 of the second panel 30 . In the second embodiment, not only the end face 412 of the portion forming the side wall of the air passage 600 but also the entire end face of the frame 410 on the side of the external space is the end face of the first panel 20 on the side of the external space and the second panel. It is located on the same plane as the end face of 30 on the side of the external space. For this reason, the frame 410 does not particularly require the extending portion 411 as in the first embodiment, and the surface having the suction port 810 of the seal head 800 is brought into surface contact with the end surface 412, the end surface 201, and the end surface 301. They can be brought into contact with each other without gaps, and exhaust can be efficiently performed.

Next, a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit 10 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. The manufacturing method of the glass panel unit 10 of the third embodiment is mostly the same as the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit 10 of the first embodiment. For this reason, explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the first embodiment, the suction port 810 that communicates with the exhaust pump was directly connected to the assembly 100 . On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the suction port 810 communicating with the exhaust pump is connected to the assembly 100 through the exhaust glass 80 . An exhaust glass 80 is connected to the assembly 100 .

The exhaust glass 80 has an inflow port 81, an outflow port 82 connected to a portion having a suction port communicating with an exhaust pump, and an exhaust internal space that is sealed except for the outflow port 82 and the inflow port 81. .

Specifically, it has a glass 83 connected to the first panel 20 via an adhesive 90 and a glass 84 connected to the second panel 30 via an adhesive 90 . A thermal adhesive 85 similar to that of the frame 410 is arranged between the glass 83 and the glass 84 . A space surrounded by the glass 83, the glass 84, and the thermal adhesive 85 serves as an exhaust internal space. A gap is formed in a part of the thermal adhesive 85 , and this gap serves as the inlet 81 . A through-hole is formed in a part of the glass 84, and the outflow port 82 is formed by this through-hole. Such an exhaust glass 80 can be formed by the same processes as the substrate formation process, the adhesive placement process, and the assembly formation process described above.

The exhaust glass 80 is connected to the end faces of the first panel 20 , the second panel 30 and the side walls via an adhesive 90 so that the inlet 81 and the air passage 600 are communicated. As the adhesive 90, a so-called silicon-based adhesive is suitably used, but it is not particularly limited. The adhesive 90 bonds the end face of the first panel 20 and the end face of the glass 83 . The adhesive 90 bonds the end face of the second panel 30 and the end face of the glass 84 . The adhesive 90 bonds the end surface of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the air passage 600 on the side of the external space and the end surface of the thermal adhesive 85 . As a result, the end surface of the exhaust glass 80 can be brought into contact with the assembly 100 without a gap by surface contact.

The end portion of the thermal adhesive forming the side wall of the ventilation path 600 on the side of the internal space 500 is closer to the internal space 500 than the thermal adhesive arranged in a frame shape on the peripheral edge of the first panel 20 or the second panel 30. positioned. As a result, the length of the thermal adhesive that closes and bonds the air passage 600 can be increased.

A seal head (not shown) having a suction port that communicates with an exhaust pump is tightly connected to the outer surface of the glass 84 around the outflow port 82 . Thereby, exhaust can be efficiently performed in the decompression process.

After the second temperature lowering step, the glass panel unit 10 , the exhaust glass 80 and the seal head are taken out from the melting furnace, and the exhaust glass 80 and the seal head are separated from the glass panel unit 10 . The exhaust glass 80 is separated from the glass panel unit 10 by cutting the adhesive 90 with a rotating blade or the like. Even if the glass panel unit 10 has tempered glass, cutting is easy because it is the adhesive 90 that is cut.

Alternatively, by holding the exhaust glass 80 and the glass panel unit 10 and applying a bending moment to the adhesive 90 portion, the adhesive 90 portion is broken and cut, and the exhaust glass 80 is separated from the glass panel unit 10. be.

In the third embodiment, the exhaust glass 80 can be manufactured in the same process as the assembly 100 is manufactured.

Next, modified examples of the first to third embodiments will be described.

Although the glass panel unit 10 has a rectangular shape in the above embodiment, the glass panel unit 10 may have a desired shape such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape. That is, the first panel 20, the second panel 30, and the seal 40 may have a desired shape such as a circular shape or a polygonal shape instead of a rectangular shape. The shapes of the first panel 20, the second panel 30, and the frame body 410 are not limited to the shapes of the above-described embodiments, and may be shapes that allow the glass panel unit 10 with a desired shape to be obtained. Note that the shape and size of the glass panel unit 10 are determined according to the application of the glass panel unit 10 .

Moreover, neither the first surface nor the second surface of the first glass plate 21 of the first panel 20 is limited to a flat surface. Similarly, neither the first surface nor the second surface of the second glass plate 31 of the second panel 30 is limited to a flat surface.

Also, the first glass plate 21 of the first panel 20 and the second glass plate 31 of the second panel 30 do not have to have the same planar shape and planar size. Also, the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 do not have to have the same thickness. Also, the first glass plate 21 and the second glass plate 31 do not have to be made of the same material.

Also, the seal 40 does not have to have the same planar shape as the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 . Similarly, the frame 410 does not have to have the same planar shape as the first panel 20 and the second panel 30 .

Also, the first panel 20 may further comprise a coating formed on the second surface of the first glass sheet 21 with desired physical properties. Alternatively, first panel 20 may be free of coating 22 . That is, the first panel 20 may be composed only of the first glass plate 21 .

Also, the second panel 30 may further comprise a coating having desired physical properties. The coating may include, for example, at least one of thin films formed on the first surface and the second surface of the second glass plate 31 . The coating is, for example, an infrared reflective film, an ultraviolet reflective film, or the like that reflects light of a specific wavelength.

In the above embodiment, the height of the pillars 70 placed on the second panel 30 from the upper surface of the second panel 30 is equal to the height of the second panel 30 of thermal adhesive placed on the second panel 30 . Although it was equal to the height from the top surface of the, it does not have to be equal.

As is clear from the above-described embodiments and modifications, the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the first aspect comprises an adhesive disposing step, an assembly forming step, a bonding step, a depressurizing step, and a sealing step. The adhesive disposing step disposes the thermal adhesive in a frame shape on the periphery of the first panel (20) including the first glass plate (21) or the second panel (30) including the second glass plate (31). It is a process. The assembly forming process comprises placing a second panel (30) opposite the first panel (20), comprising the first panel (20), the second panel (30) and a thermal adhesive, the first panel an internal space (500) surrounded by (20), the second panel (30) and the thermal adhesive, and an air passage (600) formed in the thermal adhesive to allow communication between the internal space (500) and the external space. , forming an assembly (100) having: The joining process heats the assembly (100) to melt the thermal adhesive so that the air passage (600) is not blocked, and the thermal adhesive joins the first panel (20) and the second panel (30) together. It is a step of joining. The depressurizing step is a step of depressurizing the internal space (500) by discharging the gas in the internal space (500) through the ventilation path (600). The sealing step is a step of closing the air passage (600) to seal the internal space (500) while maintaining the reduced pressure, thereby forming a sealed reduced pressure space (50). In the assembly (100), the outer space side end face (412) of the thermal adhesive constituting the side wall of the air passage (600) is located between the end face (201) of the first panel (20) and the second panel (30). It is located on the same plane as the end face (301).

According to the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the first aspect, the end surface (412) of the thermal adhesive that constitutes the side wall of the air passage (600) is the end surface (201) of the first panel (20) and the It is located on the same plane as the end face (301) of the second panel (30). As a result, the surface having the suction port (810) of the seal head (800) is in contact with the end surface (412), the end surface (201) and the end surface (301) without gaps due to surface contact, so that exhaust can be efficiently performed. can be done.

The method of manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the second aspect is realized by combining with the first aspect. In the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the second aspect, before the decompression step, the end face (201) of the first panel (20), the end face (301) of the second panel (30) and the end face (412) of the side wall are separated from each other. ) and a portion having a suction port (810) communicating with an exhaust pump is connected such that the suction port (810) communicates with the air passage (600).

According to the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the second aspect, the decompression process can be performed by connecting the suction port (810) communicating with the exhaust pump to the assembly (100).

The method for manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the third aspect is realized by combining with the first aspect. In the method of manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the third aspect, an evacuation glass (80) is connected to the assembly (100) before the decompression process. The exhaust glass (80) is sealed except for the inlet (81), the outlet (82) to which the portion having the suction port communicating with the exhaust pump is connected, the outlet (82) and the inlet (81). and an exhausted internal space. The exhaust glass (80) is provided between the end face (201) of the first panel (20) and the end face (301) of the second panel (30) and the side wall so that the inlet (81) and the air passage (600) are communicated. It is connected to the end surface (412) via an adhesive (90).

According to the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the third aspect, in separating the exhaust glass (80) from the glass panel unit (10), the portion of the adhesive (90) may be cut. Even if the glass panel unit (10) contains tempered glass, it is easy to cut.

The manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the fourth aspect is realized by combining with any one of the first to third aspects. In the method for manufacturing the glass panel unit (10) of the fourth aspect, in the adhesive disposing step, the thermal adhesive is placed in a frame-like position inside the edge of the first panel (20) or the second panel (30). , forming an extension (411) extending from the thermal adhesive to the edge of the first panel (20) or the second panel (30), the end surface of the extension (411) It is located on the same plane as the end face of the panel (20) and the end face of the second panel (30).

According to the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the fourth aspect, the thermal adhesive is arranged in a frame shape inside the edge of the first panel (20) or the second panel (30). However, the end face of the thermal adhesive can be easily positioned on the same plane as the end face of the first panel (20) and the end face of the second panel (30).

The manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the fifth aspect is realized by combining with any one of the first to fourth aspects. In the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the fifth aspect, in the adhesive disposing step, the end of the thermal adhesive constituting the side wall of the air passage (600) on the side of the internal space (500) is placed on the first panel. (20) or the thermal adhesive arranged in a frame on the peripheral edge of the second panel (30) is located on the inner space (500) side, and this portion and the first panel (20) or the second panel A ventilation path (600) is formed between the peripheral edge of (30) and the thermal adhesive arranged in a frame shape. In the sealing process, the air passage (600) between said part and the thermal adhesive frame-shaped around the periphery of the first panel (20) or the second panel (30) is blocked.

According to the manufacturing method of the glass panel unit (10) of the fifth aspect, the length of the thermal adhesive that seals and adheres the ventilation path (600) can be increased.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 glass panel unit 100 assembly 20 first panel 201 end face 21 first glass plate 30 second panel 301 end face 31 second glass plate 412 end face 50 decompression space 500 internal space 600 ventilation path 80 exhaust glass 81 inlet 810 suction port 82 Outlet 90 Adhesive

Claims (2)

A first panel including a first glass plate made of tempered glass or a second panel including a second glass plate made of tempered glass is frame-shaped at the edge of the first panel or the second panel. an adhesive disposing step of disposing the thermal adhesive along the edge so as not to protrude from the edge and not to be recessed inside the edge;
disposing the second panel facing the first panel, comprising the first panel, the second panel, and the thermal adhesive, wherein the first panel, the second panel, and the thermal adhesive; an assembly forming step of forming an assembly having an enclosed interior space and an air passage formed in the thermal adhesive to communicate the interior space and the exterior space;
a joining step of heating the assembly to melt the thermal adhesive so that the air passage is not blocked, and joining the first panel and the second panel with the thermal adhesive;
connecting an exhaust glass to the assembly;
After the step of connecting the exhaust glass to the assembly, a depressurizing step of depressurizing the internal space by exhausting the gas in the internal space through the ventilation path;
A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit, comprising: a sealing step of closing the air passage to seal the internal space to form a sealed decompressed space while maintaining the decompressed state,
In the assembly, the end surface of the thermal adhesive that forms the side wall of the air passage on the side of the external space is located on the same plane as the end surface of the first panel and the end surface of the second panel,
The exhaust glass has an inflow port, an outflow port to which a portion having a suction port communicating with an exhaust pump is connected, and an exhaust internal space sealed except for the outflow port and the inflow port, The end face of the first panel, the end face of the second panel, and the end face of the side wall are connected to the end face of the first panel, the end face of the second panel, and the end face of the side wall via an adhesive so that the inlet and the air passage are communicated. Production method. In the adhesive disposing step, the end portion of the thermal adhesive constituting the side wall of the ventilation path on the side of the internal space is disposed in a frame shape on the peripheral edge portion of the first panel or the second panel. The ventilation path is formed between this portion and the thermal adhesive arranged in a frame shape on the peripheral edge portion of the first panel or the second panel. is,
2. The glass panel unit according to claim 1, wherein in the sealing step, the ventilation path between the portion and the heat adhesive arranged in a frame shape on the peripheral edge of the first panel or the second panel is closed. manufacturing method .

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